CDC urges travelers not to go to Italy due to coronavirus outbreak

‘The spread of the virus is still ongoing,’ the CDC says

A man wearing a protective mask walks past the Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) in Venice, Italy, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Authorities in Italy decided to re-open schools and museums in some of the areas less hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak in the country which has the most cases outside of Asia, as Italians on Friday yearned for a return to normal life even amid fears that the outbreak could plunge the country's economy into recession. (Claudio Furlan/Lapresse via AP) (Claudio Furlan, LaPresse)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging all U.S. residents to not travel to Italy unless absolutely necessary, given the outbreak of COVID-19.

Many of the coronavirus cases are connected to travel to and from mainland China, per the CDC, or involve close contact with someone that has traveled there.

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The ‘sustained community spread’ of the virus means that it is unknown how coronavirus victims got infected or where they got infected, per the CDC. The spread of the virus is still ongoing.

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If you do decide to travel to Italy, the CDC has several guidelines that should be reviewed prior to the trip, as it could help prevent the virus.

Italy’s terrorism risk is still unchanged, the CDC says.

“Italy has a longstanding risk presented by terrorist groups, who continue plotting possible attacks in Italy. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas,” said the CDC in a press release.

We’ll bring more updates as they become available.

For more on the coronavirus, click here.

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About the Author:

Cody King is a digital journalist for KSAT 12. She previously worked for WICS/WRSP 20 in Springfield, Illinois.